Engine starter



June 19, 3923.

E. L DEUTSCH ENGINE STARTER Filed Sept. 25 1920 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 June19, 1923.

E. l. DEUTSCIH ENGINE STARTER Filed Sept. 25 1920 4 Sheets-Sheet 5 JuneR9, 11923. 1,459,61&

E. l. DEUTSCH ENGINE STARTER Filed Sept. 25 1920 4 Sheets-Sheet 4Ilia/2227* flaw/[64423 ih I Patented Jinne 119, 1923.

EDWARD I. DEUTSCH, OF

new

MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN.

ENGINE STARTER.

Application filed September 25, 1920. Serial No. 412,730.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that. l, ED\VARD I. DEU'rsCH. a citizen of the UnitedStates. residing at Milwaukee, in the county of Milwaukee and State ofWisconsin, have invented new and useful Improvements in Engine Starters,of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to an engine starter.

The engine starter to which the invention particularly appliescomprises, in general, a normally isengaged driving pinion which whenthe starting motor operates is moved into-engagement with the enginegear and when the engine is operating under its own power. is thrown outof engagement therewith.

The engine starters now eni loyed have several serious disadvantages.mong these may be mentioned the frequent breakage of the teeth of theengine gear, the wedging of the driving pinion on its threaded shaft ateither limit of its movement, and the creepage of the pinion toward theengine gear while the engine is running.

The frequent breakage of teeth is caused by the heavy impact with whichthe pinion moves against the engine gear. This heavy impact is due tothe heav spring employed between the drivin shatt and the pinion. Thisspring not on y serves as a yielding connection for moving the pinioninto en gagernent with the engine gear but forms a driving connectionbetween the driving shaft and the engine and therefore must be madeheavy.

The wedging of the driving pinion in driving position is due to theexcessive friction between the screw shaft and the pinion resulting fromthe utilization of the screw threads for establishing a drivingconnection between the shaft and the pinion.

Even though the spring is made very heavy to afford a drivingconnection. still there is a partial demeshing of the pinion and enginegear when the engine passes over a compression point. Thus hammering orknocking in the starter result-s which is not only noisy but isdetrimental thereto.

The creepage of the pinion while the engine is running is due to thegreat pitch of the threads of the screw shaft and to the weighted pinionbeing free. Various'schemes have been devised for preventing creepage ofthe pinion. These however have not only been unsuccessful but haveactually been detrimental to the starter in that they tend to bind theweighted pinion to the screw shaft, while the successful operation ofthe starter depends upon the pinion being free on the screw shaft.

An object of the invention is to provide an improved engine starterwherein these disadvantages will be overcome.

Another object is to provide an engine starter wherein greater crankingpower is available for cranking the engine and the drain on the storagebattery is reduced.

Another object is to provide in an engine starter a driving pinion themovement of which from non-driving to driving position is delayed so asto make available for cranking purposes the kinetic energy developed inthe motor armature.

Another object is to reduce the stresses upon the driving shaft.

Another objectis to reduce the breakage of gear teeth.

Another object is to provide an engine starter which is in runningbalance.

Another object is to provide an engine starter having inherentcharacteristics preventing creepage of the driving pinion while theengine is running.

Another object is to provide an engine starter which may be mounted oneither side of the engine gear without employing an outboard bearing.

Another-object is to provide an engine starter having a relatively lowdisengaging speed.

Another object is to provide an engine starter in which driving relationwiththe engine depends upon the acceleration of the driving shaft.

Another object is to provide an engine starter wherein the tendency ofthe driving pinion to wedge is reduced or eliminated.

Other objects and advantages will appear from the description andclaims.

According to the invention, the engine starter comprises a normallybalanced pinion adapted to become unbalanced due to operation of thedriving shaft and connections therebetween and to be moved intoengagement with the engine gear.

The views of the drawings are:

Fig. 1 is a side elevation. partly in section, of an engine starteremploying spiral gears between the motor and the driving pinion;

Fig. 2 is a vertical section on line 2-2 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a section on line 3-3 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is a side elevation, partly in section, of an engine starterwherein the force of gravity is utilized in meshing the driving pinionwith the engine gear;

Fig. 5 is a vertical section on line 5-5 of Fig. 4;

Fig. 6 is a section on line 66 of Fig. 4;

Fig. 6 shows a guide for the yoke requiring no external cooperativeparts;

*ig. 7 is a side elevation, partly in section, of an engine starterwherein the driving pinion is bodily movable only in a vertical plane toeffect engagen'ient with the engine gear;

Fig. 8 is a vertical section on line 8-8 of Fig. 7;

Fig. 9 is a section on line 99 of Fig. 7;

Fig. 10 is a side elevation, partly in section, of an engine starterwherein a yielding ,operating connection is employed .to effect apositive or substantially non-yielding driving conn'ection between themotor shaft and the engine gear; and I F'g. 11 is a vertical sec ion online 11-11 of Fig. 10.

Figures 1 to 3 will first be described.

The motor shaft 1 carries a spiral gear 2 mounted to rotate therewith.

The spiral gear 2 meshes with a spiral ear 3 loosely mounted on a shaft4 to rotate independently thereof and to travel longitudinally thereon.

The shaft 4 is journalled in a swinging yoke 5. The shaft 4 carries adriving pinion 6 mounted to rotate therewith.

' In order that the driving pinion 6 may be driven .by the motor shaft 1through the spiral gears 2 and 3, a clutch is interposed between thespiral gear 3 and the shaft 4.

The clutch comprises a driving member 7 secured to and rotatable withthe spiral gear 3 and a driven member 8 mounted on the shaft 4 to rotatetherewith.

The driving clutch member 7 has a tooth or projection 7 adapted toengage a tooth or projection 8 on the driven clutch member 8 and drivethe same as when starting the engine.

Opposite faces of the projections 7 and 8 are adapted to engage when theclutch member 8 becomes the driving member thus to drive the clutchmember 7 when the engine is started and is operating under its own poweras will more fully hereinafter appear.

The yoke 5 is pivotally mounted on a sleeve 10 surrounding but spacedfrom the motor shaft 1 and having a flange 11 by Which through thecooperation of bolts 12 it is fastened to the motor frame 13.

The oke 5 is adapted to swing in a vertical p ane about its pivot-thesleeve 10, and is also adapted to travel longitudinally thereon, thelongitudinal movement depending upon the acceleration of the driveshaft.

The flange 11 and bolts 12 limit the longitudinal travel of the yoke 5in one direction, and the flange 14 in the other. The flange 14 ma take'the form of a ring having screw threa ed engagement with the end of thesleeve.

To effect rotary movement of the yoke 5 and pinion 6 about the sleeve10, the yoke has a boss 15 adapted to ride along an inclined track 16 onthe projection 17 extending from the motor frame 13.

The forward extension 18 of the projection 17 serves as a stop to limitthe vertical movement of the yoke 5 in one direction. The boss 15 of theyoke 5 normally rests against the stop 18.

The operation of the engine starter illustrated in Figs. 1 to 3 is:

The motor is started and the motor shaft 1 rotates in the directionindicated by the arrow thereon. The spiral gear 2 mounted thereon alsorotates in the same direction.

The spiral gear 3 is driven by the gear 2 in the direction indicated bythe arrow thereon.

As the driving motor and its shaft 1 are accelerated the spiral gear 3is not only rotated but is accelerated, thereby being caused to travelto the right along the shaft 4.

After gear 3 has traveled a short distance along the shaft 4, the tooth7 of the driving clutch member 7 engages the tooth 8 of the drivenclutch member 8. The spiral gear 3 clutch members 7 and 8, shaft 4 anddriving pinion 6 thereupon rotate as a unit.

The driving pinion 6 upon the engagement of the clutch *members is notonly rotated, but is accelerated, its rotational velocity changing withthe rotational velocity of the driving shaft.

This acceleration of the driving pinion then reacts upon thedriving'mechanism intermediate the driving shaft and pinion developingbiasing forces for causing the movement of the pinion toward the engineAs the longitudinal movement of the spiral gear 3 continues underpropulsion of the meshing spiral gear and the biasing forces, the yoke 5is caused to travel to the right along the sleeve 10 moving the drivingpinion therewith and toward the engine gear. During such longitudinalmovement of the yoke and the driving pinion and other parts carriedthereby the boss 15 on the yoke slides along the relatively stationarytrack 16 thereby swinging ,the yoke and driving pinion about thesupporting sleeve 10.

Thus the yoke is caused to travel longitudinally along the supportinsleeve 10 in a horizontal plane and to swing about the same in avertical plane.

From this description of the engine starter and the operation thereof itwill be evident that the movement of the driving pinion into engagementwith the engine gear depends the engine gear 19.

rea ers upon the acceleration of the driving shaft; also since the yoke5 is caused to travel both longitudinally and rotatively with respect tothe supporting sleeve 10, and since the driving pinion moves therewith,it will travel in a plane oblique to its axis of rotation.

The engine gear 19 of the engine to be started is positioned in frontand to the ri ht of the driving pinion 6.

' he pinion 6 is moved in both a horizontal and a vertical plane intoengagement with When the pinion 6 is in engagement with the engine gear19, there is a positive or substantially non-yielding driving connectionbetween the motor shaft 1 and the engine gear 19 through the meshingspiral gears 2 and 3, the clutch members 7 and 8, the shaft t and thepinion 6.

Thus the engine is driven by the motor in starting.

When the engine operates under its own power, the speed of the enginegear 19 exceeds that of the motorshaft 1 and drives back through thepinion 6, shaft i and clutch to the spiral gears.

The speed of the driven clutch member 8 exceeds that of the drivingclutch member 7, so that the tooth 8 of the member 8 moves away fromthetooth 7 of the .other clutch member 7 it rotates until it has gainedsubstantially a complete revolution on the clutch member 7 and thenengages the opposite face of the tooth of the clutch member 7. Theclutch member 8 now becomes the driving member, and the clutch member 7the driven member.

Thus the speed of the spiralgear 3 increases because driven by theengine gear 19. Consequently, the spiral gear 3 becomes the driving gearwith respect to the gear 2.

The spira gear 3 being driven at high speed by the engine will be causedto move to the left along the shaft 4 and with respect to the. spiralgear 2. At the moment the clutch members disengage, the spiral gear 3has sufiicient velocity to cause the continued movement thereof alon theshaft 4 until it engages the nut or col ar at the end of the v shaft. Atsuch time the velocity of the spiral gear 3 is still sufii'cient tocause it to carry along with it the shaft 4 and oke 5.

Thus the yoke 5 is caused to trave to the left along the su portingsleeve 10. During this longitudina movement, the yoke rides down thetrack16 and swings about the sup porting sleeve 10.

Thus the driving pinion 6 is moved out of engagement with the enginegear 19; and, the motor having been stop ed, the starter is restored toits normal position of rest.

The'thrust between the spiral gears 2 and 3 is a function of the rate ofacceleration of the driving shaft 1, the angle of the teeth of thespiral gears, and the inertia of the parts to be accelerated.

Since each of these factors can be determined readily when designing anengine starter, it is possible to predetermine the thrust between thespiral gears of the required starter for an engine of a known rating.Thus in such starters, it will be impossible to exert a meshing thrustgreater than the predetermined thrust. Further more the starter may beso designed and constructed as to have a low meshing thrust.

A starter of low mesh-ing thrust has the advantage that the breakage ofteethon the engine gear is reduced. This breakage of teeth, which is aserious disadvantage of previous starters, is caused by the great impactof the driving pinion against the engine gear when moving intoengagement there with. The impact is a function of the weight of thepinion and the force or meshing thrust required to move it intoengagement with the engine gear. Thus the low meshing thrust of thepresent starter reduces breakage of teeth of the engine gear.

Due to the low meshing thrust between the spiral gears wedging of thepinion and of the spiral gears at either limit of movement-the meshingand demeshing positions-is reduced or eliminated. During the movement ofthe pinion from non-driving to driving position it rotates and isaccelerated, there being a difierence in angular velocity of theaccelerating driving pinion and shaft. The longitudinal movement of thepinion from non-driving to driving position being a function of thisdifference in angular velocity, the pinion will have butlittlelongitudinal movement for each revolution of the driving shaft ascompared to the longitudinal movement thereof in case the pinion isprevented from rotating; consequently, the pinion does not reach drivingposition until the driving motor has attained considerable speed.

Thus, when the pinion reaches driving position the motor armature hasacquired considerable kinetic energy commonly known as fly wheel effect,which is available for cranking the engine.

This fly wheel effect is in addition to the normal torque of the motor.

By thus utilizing the fly wheel effect of the motor armature to assistin cranking the engine, there is less drain on the storage battery fromwhich the motor is operated and greater cranking power is available.

Figures i to 6 show an engine starter which difiers from that shown inFigs. 1 to 3 merely in that the weight of the yoke 5 and the partscarried thereby is utilized to assist in moving the driving pinion intomesh with the engine gear, and a grooved guide is employed fordetermining the rotary movement of the yoke the yoke to swin The sleeve10 carrying the yoke 5 is internally threaded at its inner end andengages a supporting cylindrical threaded boss 20 on the motor frame 13.

The yoke 5 has a projection 21 forming a pin which travels in anangularly disposed guide slot 22 provided in the boss or pro jection 23on the motor frame 13. Thus when the yoke travels to the right along thesleeve 10, the pin 21 also moves to the right in the slot 22 and in sodoing the weight of the pinion carrying end of the yoke 5 causes aboutits supporting sleeve 10. The swinging movement in the yoke cooperatingwith longitudinal movement thereof causes the pinion 6 to move intoengagement with the engine gear 19.

Fig. 6 shows a guide for the yoke whereby the 'projection on the motorframe shown in Figs. 1 to 6 may be eliminated.

An inwardly extending pin 24 on the inside of the bore in the yoke 5rides in a slot 25 provided in the periphery of the sleeve 10. Thisguide performs the same function as the guide 22 of Figs. 4 to 6.

While the unbalanced weight of the yoke should be such as to cause theengagement of the driving pinion and the engine gear, still this weight,which can be determined when designing the starter, is. small enough toproduce but a small impact between the pinion and engine gear when enaging. Thus the breakage of teeth is reduce The tendency to wedge isreduced or eliminated for the same reason as in the starter shown inFigs. 1 to 3.

Figures 7 to 9 show an engine starter in which the yoke 5 is merelyrotated about its supporting sleeve 10 to move the driving pinion intoengagement with the engine gear 19.

The sleeve 10 is supported by the motor shaft 1 which is free to rotatetherein. The inner end of the sleeve rests against a shoulder 26 on themotor shaft 1.

' The outer end of the motor shaft 1'-carries a square nut 27 fastenedthereto to rotate therewith.

The square nut 27 fits in the square opening of a sleeve 28 having atits inner end an.

opening of reduced diameter threaded to engage the threaded outer end ofthe sleeve 10.

Thus as the motor shaft 1 and the square nut rotate, the sleeve 28 isrotated on the sleeve 10, and is moved to the left due to the threadedengagement of the two sleeves.

The circumferential groove 29 near the inner end of the sleeve 28.carries a collar 30 supporting a ring 31 having a projection 32 in whichan opening is provided.

This ring 31 and its apertured projection are moved to the left with thesleeve 28 when the motor shaft 1 is operated, and cooperates withmechanism about to be described to cause the yoke 5 to swing about itspivot and move the pinion 6 into engagement with the engine gear 19.

For this purpose, the relatively stationary projecti0n'17 of the motorframe 13 has a horizontal track 33 along which the horizontal flat faceof the wedge 34 is adapted to travel.

The inclined face 35 of the wedge 34 engages the curved face 36 at thelower edge of the yoke 5, and moves the yoke 5 about its pivot.

In order that the wedge 34 may be moved along the track 33, theprojection 32 of the ring 31 is connected therewith through a rod 37.The reduced end of the rod passes through the opening in the projection32. The projection 32 and the rod 37 are yieldingly connected togetherthrough a coiled spring 38 encircling the reduced end of the rod andseated against the stop 39 and the projection 32. The .spring 38normally holds the projection 32'against a shoulder on the rod 37.

A collar 40 fastened to the track projection 17 guides the rod andmaintains the wedge 34 in operative relation to the track 33and theyoke. 5.

An intermediate pinion 41, mounted upon the sleeve 10 to rotatetherewith, meshes with the pinion 6.

When the motor shaft 1 starts to rotate, the inertia of the meshingpinions 6 and 41 maintains the sleeve 10 relatively stationary andlimits the rotational velocity thereof with respect to the motor shaft 1and sleeve 28. Thus the sleeve 28 rotates on the sleei e 10 and moveslongitudinally with respect thereto until the inner face or shoulder ofthe sleeve 28 abuts the face of the square nut 27. The sleeve 10 isthereby locked to and rotates with the sleeve 28. The sleeve 10 and theshaft 1 are thus locked together.

During the longitudinal movement of the sleeve 28, the spring 38 isfirst compressed and the connecting rod 37 and wedge 34 are movedlongitudinally by and with the sleeve 28. Thus the wedge 34 rotates theyoke 5 about its pivot-the sleeve 10-and moves the driving pinion 6 intoengagement with the enginegear 19 for starting the engine.

Thus the engine gear 19 is driven positively by the motor shaft 1through the nut 27, locked sleeves 28 and 10 and the meshed pinions41.and 6 which form a substantially non-yielding connection.

When the engine has begun to operate on its own power, the speed thereofexceeds that of the motor and causes an increase in v the right.Consequently, the wedge 34 is moved away from its position against theyoke 5. The yoke- 5 is free to move about its supporting sleeve 10, andis caused to so move by the increased speed of the engine. Thus thepinion 6 is automatically moved out of engagement with the engine gearand, the motor having been stopped, the parts of the'engine starterreturn to their normal osition of rest.

The riving pinion of the starter shown in Figs. 7 to 9 and the enginegear are substantially in the same plane. and engine gear when meshingyieldingly mesh substantially along the entire length of the teeth.Since the spring 38 forms no part of the driving connection between themotor and the engine, it may be made light. Consequently, thepossibility of breakage of teeth and wedging of the starter at eitherlimit of its movement is reduced. Furthermore, the tendency of thedriving pinion and the engine gear to demesh when passing over acompression point is reduced.

Figures 10 and 11 show an engine starter employing yielding means forcausing the longitudinal and vertical movement of the driving pinioninto engagement with the engine gear which is then driven positivelyfrom the motor shaft through a substantially non-yielding connection.

The yielding means for effecting the move ment of the pinion carryingyoke into driving position comprises a nut 42 threaded on the motorshaft 1 and a coiled spring 43 encircling the shaft and secured at oneend to the nut 42 and at its other to the sleeve 10 mounted to travellongitudinally on the shaft 1 and to rotate thereon.

A nut 44 secured to the outer end of the motor shaft limits the movementof the traveling nut 42 in one direction.

The sleeve '10 carries a collar 45 which when fastened thereto by a setscrew 46 retains the yoke 5 in adjusted position on the sleeve 10.

The pinion 41 meshing with the driving pinion 6 is mounted on the sleeve10 and rotates therewith.

The inner end of the sleeve 10 carries a driven clutch member 47 whichrotates there with and which is adapted to be moved into engagement withthe driving clutch member 48 secured to the motor shaft 1, when the yoke5 travels longitudinally along the shaft 1.

In order to effect the rotary movement of the yoke 5 while the same istraveling longitudinally along the motor shaft 1, the yoke carries apointed guide pin 49 which cooperates with an opening 50 in a boss 51 onthe motor frame 13.

Normally the point 49 of the guidepin 49 is positioned just inside theopening 50 and The pinion.

rests against the edge thereof. As the yoke 5 travels longitudinally, ittends to force the guide pin into the opening 50, and since the inclinedface of the guide pin 49 is resting on the edge of the opening, thisedge travels relative to the inclined faeeand along the same.Consequently, the guide pin 49 moves into the cooperating opening 50,and the yoke 5 is rotated about the shaft 1 while travelinglongitudinally thereon.

When the pin 49 is within the opening 50, the yoke 5 is in drivingposition, and the driving pinion 6 is in engagement with the engine gear19 and the clutch members are locked together.

Thus the engine gear is positively driven from the motor shaft throughthe clutch members 47 and 48, the sleeve 10 and the intermediate anddriving pinions 41 and 6 which constitute a substantially non-yieldingconnection.

When the engine is operating on its own power, its speed exceeds that ofthe motor. Consequently, the speed of the sleeve 10 and driven clutchmember 47 will be increased and will exceed that of the motor shaft 1and the driving clutch member 48.

The yoke will therefore be forced to travel to theleft along the motorshaft 1, whereupon the clutch members will disengage and the guide pin49 will be moved out of its cooperating opening 50. Thus the drivingpinion 6 will be moved out of engagement with the engine gear 19, and,the motor meanwhile having been stopped, the parts of the engine starterwill be returned to their normal positions of rest.

Spring 43 merely permits yielding meshing of the driving pinion and theengine gear, and may therefore be light. The force necessary to move thepinion into engagement with the engine gear is small. Since the spring43 is light, the-force exerted in moving the pinion into engagement withthe engine gear is small; consequently the possibility of breakage ofteeth is reduced.

Single threads of small pitch on the driving shaft 1 may be employed,for the driving connection between the shaft and the engine gear doesnot include these threads. Thus the tendencyof the driving pinion towedge is reduced.

gine gear to demesh when the engine passes,

over a compression point is eliminated.

The term accelerate as employed in the specification and claims means torotate with increasing angular velocity.

The invention contained herein is of course susceptible of otherembodiments and adaptations.

I claim- 1. An engine starter having iii, combination a rotatable feedscrew shaft, a pinion to be moved thereby into engagement with a part ofthe engine to be started, a travelling nut on the feed screw shaftyieldably connected to the pinion, a clutch member fixed to the shaft,and a second clutch member connected to the pinion and engageable withthe first clutch member when the pinion meshes with the engine part toestablish a driving connection between the shaft and engine part fromwhich the screw of the shaft, the nut and the yieldable connection areexcluded.

2. An engine starter having in combination with a motor driven shaft andan engine gear, a normally balanced rotatable driving pinion, and meansincluding a biasing inertia member actuated by the shaft for moving thepinion into engagement with the engine gear, said member continuouslyengage ing the pinion and mounted outside the sums of rotation thereof.

3. In combination with an engineto be started from an electric motor, arotatable feed screw shaft, a pinion to be moved thereby into engagementwith a part of the engine to be started, a traveling nut on the feedscrew shaft yieldably connected to the pinion, and clutch membersengageable when the pinion meshes with the engine part to establishbetween the motor and the engine part a driving connection from whichthe yieldable connection and traveling nut areexcluded.

4. In an engine starter, the combination of a rotatable driving pinionto be moved into engagement with a part of the engine to be started, arotatable member connected to the pinion, a rotatable driving shaftadapted to be accelerated, a nut on the shaft yieldably connected to thepinion, screw threads on the shaft engaging the nut and cooperating withthe pinion and member so as to cause simultaneous motion of rotation andtranslation of the pinion during the period of acceleration of thedriving shaft prior to contact of the pinion and engine part, and clutchmembers engageable when the pinion engages the engine part so as toestablish a driving connection between the driving shaft and the enginepart independently of the screw threads.

5. In combination with an engine to be started from an electric motor, ascrew threaded shaft to be accelerated by the motor, a drivin pinion, atraveling nut on the shaft yielda ly connected to the pinion so theshaft will move the pinion into engagement with a part of the engine,the pitch 1 of the screw threads and mass of the pinion period ofacceleration of the shaft prior to contact of the pinion and engine partso as to increase the duration of the translation period, and clutchmembers engageable when the pinion engages the engine part, so as toestablish between the shaft and pinion a driving connection from whichthe screw threads of the shaft are excluded.

6. An engine starter having in combination, a rotatable feed screwshaft, a driving pinion to be moved thereby into engagement with a partof the engine to be started, a travelling nut on the feed screw shaft, aresilient connection between the nut and pinion, and a rotatable memberbearing directly on the shaft and cooperating therewith and with the nutand pinion to cause the pinion to rotate during the motion oftranslation thereof, the simultaneous motion of rotation and translationof the pinion being dependent upon the acceleration of the shaft.

7. An engine starter having in combination, a rotatable feed screwshaft, a driving pinion to be moved thereby into engagement with a partof the engine to be started, a travelling nut on the feed screw shaft,a-resilient connection between the nut and pinion, a rotatable membersupported by the shaft in actual contact therewith and movably connectedwith the pinion so as to allow relative bodily movement therebetween,said member cooperating with the shaft, nut and pinion so as to causethe rotation of the pinion during the motion of translation thereof, thesimultaneous motion of rotation and translation of the pinion beingdependent upon the acceleration of the shaft.

8. An engine starter having in combination a rotatable feed screw shaft,9, driving pinion to be moved thereby into engagement with a part of theengine to be started, a traveling nut on the feed screw shaft, and arotatable member intermediate the shaftand pinion and cooperatingtherewith and with the nut to cause the pinion to rotate during themotion of translation thereof, said member being supported by the shaftindependently of the pinion, the simultaneous motion of rotation andtranslation of the inion being dependent upon the acceleration of theshaft.

9. Starting means for an engine to be started from a rotatable drivingshaft, comprising a driving pinion pivotally supported outside its axisof rotation and mounted to travel in planes parallel and normal to itssupport into engagement with the engine gear, and means controlled bythe driving shaft for causing the pinion to travel into engagement withthe engine gear.

10. An engine starter 'havingin combination an engine gear and a screwthreaded shaft adapted to be accelerated up to constant speed, a yokesupported by the shaft, a driving pinion carried by the yoke for enlltlgagement with the engine gear, a travelling nut on the shaft connectedto the pinion, a non-driving meshing cushioning sprin between the nutand pinion, the pitch of the screw threads and mass of the pinion beingso related that the pinion has motion of both rotation and translationduring the period of acceleration of the shaft prior to contact of thepinion and the engine gear so as to increase the duration of thetranslation period, and means for swinging said pinion into engagementwith the engine gear during said period of translation.

11. An engine starter having in combination a screw threaded shaftadapted to be accelerated up to a constant speed, a yoke supported bythe shaft, a driving pinion carried by the yoke for engagement with apart of the engine to be started, a traveling nut on the shaft connectedto the pinion, a nondriving spring for cushioning the meshing impactbetween the pinion and engine part, the pitch of the screw threads andmass of the pinion being so related that the pinion has motion of bothrotation and translation during the period of acceleration of the shaftprior to contact of the pinion with the engine'part so as to increasethe duration of the translation period, and means cooperating with saidyokeduring said period of translation for swinging the pinion about theshaft into engagement withthe engine art. p 12. An engine starter havingin combination a screw threaded shaft adapted to be accelerated up to aconstant speed, a driving pinion for engagement with a part of theengine/to be started, a support for the pinion carried by the shaft, atraveling nut on the shaft connected to the pinion, the pitch of thescrew threads and mass of the pinion being so related that the pinionhas motion of both rotation and translation during the period ofacceleration of the shaft prior to contact of the pinion with the enginepart so as to increase the duration of the translation period, and meanscarried by the motor frame co-operating with such support to swing thesame about the shaft during the period of translation to move thevpinion into engagement with the engine part.

13. In combination with an engine to be started from an electric motoran engine gear, a screwthreaded shaft to be accelerated by the motor, adriving pinion supported outside the shaft for engagement with theengine gear, a traveling nut on the shaft yieldably connected to thepinion, the pitch of'the screw threads andmass of the pinion being sorelated that the inion has motion of both rotation and trans ationduring the period of acceleration of the; shaft prior to contact of thepinion and engine gear so as to increase the duration of the translationperiod and means for moving the pinion bodil about the shaft during saidperiod of trans ation into engagement with bination with a rotatabledriving shaft and an engine gear, ayoke pivotally mounted forlongitudinal movement on and rotary movement about its pivot, a pinioncarried by the yoke and upon movement thereof engaging the engine gear,and connections between the shaft and the yoke for moving the latterinto engaging position.

15. An engine starter having in combination with a motor driven shaftand an engine gear, a support, a yoke pivotally supported thereby, adriving pinion rotatively mounted in the yoke and movable longitudinallytherewith on the support and about the same into engagement with theengine gear, and a driving connection between the motor driven shaft andthe pinion.

16. An engine starter having in combination with a driving shaft and anengine gear, a driving pinion pivotally supported outside its axis ofrotation and mounted to move longitudinally along its support and toswing about the same into engagement with the engine gear, and meanscooperating with the driving shaft for causing the. pinion to move intoengagement with the engine gear and fordriving the pinion.

17. An engine starter drive having in combination with an engine member,a rotatable shaft and a pinion, means for effecting engagement anddisengagement of the inion with the engine member, said means includingthe shaft and a member having a screw threaded connection thereto and ayielding connection to the pinion, and a driving connection establishedbetween the shaft and engine member when the pinion is in engagementwith the engine member, the pinion being included insaid drivingconnection and the screw threaded member being excluded therefrom.

18. A starter for an engine having in combination with a motor drivenshaft and an engine gear, a pivoted yoke mounted for longitudinalmovement on its pivot, a pinion rotatively mounted in the yoke, aconnection between the driving shaft and the yoke whereby the drivingshaft causes the longitudinal movement of the yoke on its pivot, andmeans cooperating with the yoke to cause the same to rotate on its pivotduring its longitudinal movement thereon, whereby the pinion is movedinto engagement wit the engine gear.

19; Starting means for. an engine, comprising a rotatably driving shaft,a pivotally supported rotatable driving pinion, and means cooperatingwith the driving shaft for causing the pinion to travel in a planeoblique to its axis of rotation into engagement with the engine gear.

20. An engine starter having in combination, a motor driven shaft and anengine gear, a support, ayoke pivoted thereon, a driving pinionrotatably mounted in the yoke and movable longitudinally therewith onthe support and into engagement with the engine gear, and a drivingconneztion between the motor driven shaft and the pinion.

21. An engine starter having in combination, a motor driven shaft and anengine gear, a support, a bracket pivoted thereon, a driving memberrotatably mounted in the bracket and movable longitudinally therewith onthe support and into engagement with the engine gear, and a drivingconnection between the motor driven shaft and the driving member.

22. An engine starter having in combination a rotatable feed screwshaft, a rotatable driving pinion, a resilient connection between theshaft and the pinion through which the shaft moves the pinion fromnondriving to driving relation to the engine, and causes it to rotateduring such movement, a clutch member fixed to the shaft, a clutchmember connected to the driving pinion and moved into engagement withthe other clutch member when the pinion reaches driving position so asto establish a direct driving connection from the shaft to the enginefrom which the resilient connection is excluded.

23. An engine starter through which an engine is to be started from anelectric motor. a rotatable feed screw shaft a rotatable driving pinion,a traveling nut on the screw shaft, a vieldable connection between thenut and pinion through which the shaft moves the pinion from non-drivingto driving relation to the engine and rotates and accelerates the pinionduringsuch movement, a clutch member connected to the pinion and movabletherewith, and a clutch member fixed to the shaft and engaged by thefirst clutch member upon movement of the pinion into driving position soas to establish a driving connection between the shaft and the pinionfrom which the yieldable connection is excluded.

In witness whereof, I have hereunto subscribed my name.

EDWARD I. DEUTSCH.

